Cousins put on a throwback performance in Friday's win over the Rockets
It's been a long basketball journey for DeMarcus Cousins, and he deserves credit for sticking with it.
One of the most productive players in the NBA before an Achilles injury in 2018, Cousins has been on five teams over the past four seasons as he seeks to re-establish himself in the league. Although he has been unable to find consistent rotation minutes lately, he has been able to make a tremendous impact on the offensive end, as he proved in the Denver Nuggets' 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Filling in as the starting center for reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Cousins scored 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 23 minutes. It was Cousins' first 30-point game since January 2018, when he scored 44 points as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans shortly before his Achilles injury.
"I've been doing this for a long time. I know how to play the game, obviously," Cousin said after his monster performance. "Just play ball. The rest will come to you."
One of the most skilled big men the league had ever seen, Cousins went to work early and often on Houston's smaller, smaller defenders. He scored 10 for 14 off the ground, 3 for 4 from 3-point range, 8 for 9 from the free-throw line and was a plus-10 for the game.
DeMarcus Cousins receives a standing ovation in Denver after dropping 31 points for the @nuggets! pic.twitter.com/hFQWRm8aV7
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2022
When he was out of the game in the fourth quarter and later thanked his new fans, the cousins were met with overwhelming praise from the Ball Arena crowd.
"Since Day 1, he kind of gravitated to me," Cousins said of Nuggets fans after the game. "I'm so grateful for that, and I'll come here and play my butt for them every night."
Nuggets are now 11-1 when cousins play, usually supporting Jokic for 10 to 15 minutes per game. After originally joining Denver on a 10-day contract following a stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cousins were signed for the remainder of the season in late February. When matchups dictate his skill set, he can be a valuable piece in the postseason, as the Nuggets await the potential return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
"We have to keep growing as a team," Cousins said. "Keep building winning habits, lose those bad habits we have, come out and start strong like we did tonight, and just keep growing as a team."